A Letter From Luis Bush"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I

do not give to you as the world gives. Do not letyour hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

— JOHN 14:27

We prayed in a garden on Jerusalem's Mountof Olives, very near the spot where Jesus and hisdisciples came to pray the night of his betrayal. Weprayed for peace…for reconciliation…for onenessamong Arab Christians and Messianic Jews.

My wife, Doris, and I were in a meeting with agroup of believers: Arab ministers of the Gospel,Jordanian and Palestinian Christian leaders, andMessianic Jews. Bishara Awad, founder and presi-dent of Bethlehem Bible College in the West Bank,had convened the conference in July, 1997. Nearly50 years before, Bishara and his Palestinian familyhad become refugees after losing their father to astray bullet during Israel's fight for statehood.

During the conference, Ilan Zamir, President ofthe Messianic Jewish Alliance of Israel, had openlyshared his struggle to find identity as a messianicJew in Israel. Moved by what he had heard, aJordanian Christian brother called a few of us asideto pray that the peace that can come only throughJesus would rule over this, the biblical heartland ofthe 10/40 Window. *

Out of that conference, and the evening of fer-vent prayer that ensued, this booklet was born. It isa call to God's people throughout the world to praywith and for their brothers and sisters who live inthe heartland of biblical faith. They fervently pleadfor believers everywhere to join them in prayingthat Almighty God will bless their homeland withpeace; not the politicians' kind of temporary"absence of hostilities," but the true peace that onlyJesus Christ can bring.

Luis BushInternational Director,AD2000 & Beyond Movement

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•Hebron

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•Nazareth

•Tel Aviv-Yafo

•Haifa

•Amman

•Az-Zarqa'•Az-Salt

•AqabaAreas of significant populations

•Al-Baqah

•Irbid

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*The 10/40 Window is the regionbetween 10 and 40 degrees north latitude,extending from North Africa through East Asia.It encompasses nearly four billion people,including most of the world's Muslims, Hindusand Buddhists.

At the core of the region of the world we call the Middle East— the nations of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority — liesthe geographical center of God's biblical revelation. Its historystretches back through the millennia to the dim beginnings of civi-lization. Today its agonizing search for "peace with justice" occu-pies the headlines of newspapers and the lead stories of televisionnews around the world.

Two years ago I asked a Jordanian news anchor — who alsois an Arab believer — what his major news item was. Without hes-itation he answered, "The peace process." I recently asked him thesame question. His answer was the same, but with a tellingaddendum: "The peace process…and that it will continue."

The Middle East is rich in history, laden with sites sacred toJews, Christians and Muslims. Vanished civilizations and modernmechanized armies have waged endless wars across hills, valleysand rivers whose names appear in the oldest written texts and lat-est electronic headlines:

Jerusalem — One of the world's most famous cities, Jerusalemdates from at least the third millennium BC…and it's beenfought over ever since. In this focus of countless wars, Christgave his disciples the mandate to "tell people about meeverywhere: in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, andto the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8 NLT).

Jordan — The river from which the nation of Jordan derives itsname has been a hotly contested natural border ever sinceJoshua led the Israelites into their Promised Land.

Bethlehem — Today it lies in the area known as the West Bank.The city where Jesus was born, it is mentioned more than 50times in the Bible. Here a great company of the heavenlyhost appeared with the angel to announce, "Glory to God inthe highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favorrests" (Luke 2:14). That peace is unknown in Bethlehem at theturn of the new millennium.

Approximately 300 million Arabs trace their lineage toAbraham. Arab history encompasses one of the most formidableempires the world has ever known that includes remarkable con-tributions in science, mathematics, architecture and literature.

Likewise Abraham is the father for the approximately 15 mil-lion Jews worldwide of whom about six million live in the UnitedStates. Over 800,000 Russian Jews have immigrated to Israel inthe nineties bringing the total Jewish population in Israel to fivemillion. Susan Perlman of Jews for Jesus, who was raised in theJewish faith, recently noted: “As we enter the 21st century we arewitnessing an emerging Judaism that is radically altered from thecentury past. We are faced with a divided Judaism (orthodox vs.liberal, secular vs. religious, etc), a deserted Judaism (assimilated

Jews, etc.), a mystic Judaism (Jewish Buddhists, new-agers, etc.)and a politicized Judaism that is influenced by geographic powershifts.” Among those who are followers of Jesus/Yeshua there is amajor segment of Jews who while, maintaining a Jewish identity,do not believe in following a form of the Jewish religion, but whoare fully Christian in their doctrine. There are others who areMessianic Jews who believe that the New Testament is a continu-ation of the Hebrew scriptures and contend that Jewish peoplewho follow Yeshua do not become converts to another religion,but rather remain Jews— Messianic Jews (seesidebar on MessianicJews).

The primary issueoccupying modernIsrael, Jordan and thePalestinian Authority istheir fitful pursuit of alasting peace. The slo-gans are many:"Choose peace!" "Fightfor peace!" "Struggle forpeace!" "Talk peace!""Wage peace!" Butprogress has been slowand erratic. The com-plex and difficult issuewas summed up withwry and insightfulhumor by one observer:"We are, after all, thesons and daughters ofAbraham."

“The Arab-Israeli conflict has indeed

been one of the more complex and difficult

international problems of the second half

of the twentieth century. The first step to

understanding its complexity is a recogni-

tion that there is no single Arab-Israeli dis-

pute, but a cluster of distinct, interrelated

conflicts. This is a classic dispute between

two national movements claiming title to

and vying for possession of the same land;

the broader political, cultural, and increas-

ingly religious conflict between Israel and

Arab nationalism — the bilateral disagree-

ments between Israel and each of its Arab

neighbors; and the international structure,

in which colonial and postcolonial power

rivalries, geopolitical factors, and talk

about the 'Holy Land' all play a part."

—From Waging Peace: Israel and the Arabs at

the End of the Century, by Itamar Rabinovich, Israeli

scholar-diplomat

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Shalom/Salam…Peace/PeaceThe Elusive Pursuit of Peace in the Biblical Heart of the 10/40 Window

Peace…my peaceFrom nearly every viewpoint the primary issue at the heart of

the 10/40 Window is the pursuit of peace. While governmentsdebate the issues and argue over the details, evangelical believersworldwide debate God’s end-time prophetic agenda, especially asit relates to the place of Israel. Some believe that the signing of apeace pact will launch a series of end-times events that will leadto the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

In the midst of the uncertainty, Messianic Jewish andChristian Arab leaders are quietly joining in prayer for the lastinginner peace that comes only through Jesus/Yeshua/Yasua/Isa.They pray for spiritual unity among their people while maintainingtheir distinct Jewish and Arab identities.

The Pursuit of PeacePeace with God

While the politicians pursue their definition of peace, amongsome there is a growing realization throughout the Middle Eastthat lasting peace can be found only in a personal relationshipwith God through Jesus/Yeshua/Yasua/Isa, the Prince of Peace.

A pastor in the Middle East for twenty-five years believes thatYear 2000 millennial hype, talk of the return of Christ, and thefuture uncertainty of the region all contribute to this recognitionthat lasting peace must begin with God. Another long-term work-er in the region adds that international movements like PrayingThrough the 10/40 Window, which focus prayer on the region,

have made a significant difference.Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordanand other Middle Eastern countries allhave felt the impact of these prayers.

"There is more response to thegospel than ever before in the land ofIsrael," a pastor reports. "Today you

can talk about Yeshua openly." Arab Christian leaders in theregion say that for maybe the first time in memory, many peoplefrom various backgrounds are beginning to accept the gospel andexperience the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit. They seekfellowship with Christians to learn how to pray and to worshipGod in new ways.

Some Messianic Jewish fellowships are opening their doors toMuslims seeking to be followers of Jesus/Yasua/Yeshua/Isa.Christian Arabs are beginning for the first time to recognize theripe harvest field surrounding them, and to overcome their fear ofwitnessing to both Muslims and Jews. Persecution and oppositioncontinue and many still suffer for their faith, but believers surviveand their fellowships grow by pulling together.

Throughout the region men and women, Arabs and Jews, arefinding peace with God in ever-increasing numbers.

PeaceWith One AnotherThen, Paul wrote of the Lord's desire to reconcile sinful man

to himself and one another in Him through his sonJesus/Yeshua/Yasua/Isa. Today, Christian leaders from theMessianic Jewish community together with leaders from theChristian background and Muslim background believing communi-ties, as well as leaders of the world-wide church, are laboring tobring a reconciling peace to the Muslim, Christian and Jewish com-munities of the region.

For the past eighteen years each August, including this pastAugust, most of the congregations of Galilee including Israeli,Arabic, Ethiopian, and Russian immigrant believers have gatheredfor a unity meeting of up to 600 believers. In Carmel, an Arabbeliever participates in leadership in an Israeli congregation. Thereare regular prayer fellowships between the leaders of both theIsraeli and Arab congregations.

After more than three years of retracing the trail of the cru-saders from Germany, through Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon in “TheReconciliation Walk” more than 400 mainly Western Christianswalked into Jerusalem on July 15, 1999 to ask forgiveness for thehistorical bloodshed and for a lingering "crusader mentality" in thechurch today. They walked aroundthe Old City and prayed for thepeace of Jerusalem then delivered anapology, as descendants of the cru-saders, to Chief Rabbi Yisrael Lau,Greek Orthodox Patriarch Diodoros,and Muslim Mufti Ekrem Sabri.

God’s people are working to rec-oncile Arab and Jewish believers.Tom Hess, International Director ofAll Nations Convocations and theJerusalem House of Prayer for AllNations, has been enabling reconcili-ation between Jewish and Arab lead-ers. They meet regularly to praytogether for the peace of Jerusalemand all nations. A 24-hour WorshipWatch has been launched on the 12Gates of Jerusalem and 24-hourPrayer on the Mount of Olives. They also hold an All NationsConvocation in Jerusalem every two years.

Salim Munayer, founder of the Musalaha (Arabic for "reconcilia-tion") ministry, also works to reconcile Jews and Arabs. Musalahaemphasizes Christ's atonement on the cross and his resurrection asthe only hope through which true reconciliation can be achieved.The ministry conducts trips into the desert, where Jewish and Arabyouth unite in the hardships of the desert and in their commonfaith. The ministry also seeks to encourage reconciliation amongthe Palestinian Arab and Israeli communities.

Around the world believers are praying for the peace ofJerusalem, that Arabs and Jews will increasingly be reconciled inthe Messiah and that the Middle East will again become a blessingin the midst of the earth "as together we prepare to welcomeYeshua the Messiah to Jerusalem."

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That's a difficult and elusive goal. But it can become reality,for peace is the heart of the Master, the Prince of Peace. "Peace Ileave with you," he said, "My peace I give you. I do not give toyou as the world gives" (John 14:27). Peace has already come intothe world through Christ (Luke 1:79; 2:14, 29-32). By Jesus peaceis bestowed (Mark 5:34; Luke 7:50; John 20:19, 21, 26). We, hisfollowers, are to be messengers of that peace (Luke 10:5-6; Acts10:36). Shortly before his return to the Father he told his disciples:"Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you"(John 20:21).

Lasting peace — the kind that can be found only in andthrough Jesus/Yeshua/Yasua/Isa — is spreading throughout theland of his birth. Pray that God's peace will prevail, both in thatancient land and in the hearts of its people.

"For he himself is ourpeace, who has made thetwo one and has destroyedthe barrier, the dividing wallof hostility."

— EPHESIANS 2:14, NIV

Personal PeaceBelievers who live in Israel, Jordan and the region of the

Palestinian Authority struggle with their ethnic, political and spiritualidentity. In a land where Arab is synonymous with Muslim and Jewwith Judaism, the dilemma for believers from these two communitiescan be overwhelming. Most Western believers, having come fromgenerations of Gentile Christian faith, don't understand the problem.Messianic Jews are a tiny minority within the Jewish community,which itself is a minority in the predominately Muslim Arab MiddleEast. Christian Arabs are also a minority within the vast regionalmajority of Islam, and for those who live in the West Bank the situa-tion is even more complex. Conversion to Jesus Christ from the his-toric churches is viewed by many as a betrayal of their long heritage,a forsaking of their traditions to join a 'heretical western sect'. ForMuslim background believers the situation is perhaps the hardest ofall. Theirs is the smallest community of believers from the threefaiths, but it is growing.

Messianic Jews face an especially perplexing situation. Being anIsraeli means more than simply being Jewish, and being Jewish

involves far more than mere family lineage. Messianic Jews are aremnant who believe in the Messiah, Yeshua, in the midst of aJewish population that is modernistic, indifferent, or radically ortho-dox. They find themselves caught in the middle: harassed byOrthodox Jews, disliked by Arabs and misunderstood or ignored byGentile Christians whose church history is filled with atrocitiestoward their Jewish ancestors. Often these messianic Jews are beingpressured to integrate into ‘imported’ denominational structures. Ifthey succumb, they lose their effectiveness to witness back into theirown communities.

Jews have considered Christians as their primary persecutors forcenturies. Christian history is littered with the debris of anti-Semitism. The relationship between Jewish followers of Christ andthe Gentile Church deteriorated rapidly in the first century. TheCouncil of Nicea, convened by Constantine in 325AD, asserted thatthe church did not want to have anything to do with the Jewish roots

Peace in the DesertForty teenagers crowded the bus as it as it sped

through the rolling hills toward the Middle Eastern desert.In the center several Palestinian young people gatheredaround a durbeke (drum), some standing in the aisle, oth-ers in their seats, all enthusiastically singing choruses.Scattered around the bus some Jewish young people anda few other Palestinians tried to join in. Others talked withfriends, and a few listened to their own private music.

Few of the kids knew anyone except those from theirown youth group, and those who did know each otherstuck closely together. All shared a sense of anticipation,with apprehension at the many new faces and sounds.Would the experiment really work? Could they really over-come their many adolescent fears, cultural barriers andlanguage differences?

They were headed to a desert encounter sponsored bya Christian ministry called Musalaha (Arabic for "reconcili-ation"), which seeks to bring Jews and Arabs to a higherloyalty beyond ethnic and political loyalties. By taking theteenagers into the desert, away from the distractions of aturbulent society, Musalaha tries to build bridges acrossthe many obstacles that divide the people of the MiddleEast. Through the shared hardships of the journeyMusalaha hopes that the young people will open theirlives to the Holy Spirit, who will lead them to encounterone another in peace and unity in Jesus despite their dif-ferent backgrounds and experiences.

"At first I was worried," admitted one participant later."So I kind of stayed in my group with my friends. It washard to talk to the Arabs because not all of them spokeHebrew or English. But I decided to reach out to thoseguys, and it worked! We gave each other funny nicknames,and pretty soon we really became friends. At the end ofthe trip I was sad to see them go."

Traveling by camel across the desert was a new expe-rience for most of the kids, and they were not quite surewhat to make of the growls and grunts the beasts emitted."I was struck that the moments when the group was mostunited was when we were moving," a counselor comment-ed later. "Most of the kids started out with a partner or ingroups of three: one leading the camel, one riding and theother walking alongside. At each rest stop they changedplaces, and before long the partnerships were well mixed."At the end of each day the exhausted teenagers shared ameal of lentil stew, then molded themselves places on thedesert floor and slept 'til daybreak.

"It was good for us to be together like this — Arabsand Jews," one girl observed later. A young man agreed:"We are joined by faith in Jesus our Messiah."

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of the faith. The Council decreed that Messianic Jewish believers ofthat day could no longer be Jewish — either ethnically or spiritually —and still be a part of the body of believers. By the second century, theChurch chose to regard Jews as a lost, cursed, apostate people withouthope. The Inquisition, the Crusades, and the Holocaust all were wagedin the name of Christianity. The Nazis even hung signs in their gaschambers that read, "You are being killed in the name of Jesus Christ."

Ilan Zamir, author of the soon-to-be-published book UnderstandingMessianic Jews, explained to me the dilemma of the Messianic Jew."The Jewishness of the early Church has been nearly forgotten," hesaid. "For the first Messianic Jewish body of believers, the issue was:How does the Gentile believer fit in? Does he have to become a Jewand follow all the biblical Jewish customs and practices? As the Churchgrew and became predominately Gentile, the question reversed. Now,in the 20th century, Gentile believers in Yeshua are asking the question:Where do the Jewish people fit in?"

The situation is no easier for Christian Arabs. In most of theMiddle East, they are a minority of faith in a culture dominated by thereligiosity of Islam. Arab believers recognize the historical fact thattheir region was Christian before it was Muslim, with a rich tradition ofChristian faith and culture. They live in the geographical wellspring ofChristianity, home to the most ancient Christian communities in theworld. From the very beginnings of the Gentile church, these communi-ties have been attacked and persecuted, yet have carried on the tradi-tions of their faith.

Arab culture and the Arabic language have played an importantrole in Christianity. After the armies of Caliph Umar defeated theByzantines at the battle of Yarmouk in 638, Arab Islamic culture movedfrom its birthplace on the Arabian Peninsula into the area now dividedbetween Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. Early Islam toler-ated a limited expression of Christianity and Judaism with the subjugat-ed dhimmi status of Islamic law. Arab culture, which prized scholar-ship, influenced the early Christian communities, and by the secondhalf of the 8th century Christian theological literature was being writtenin Arabic. By the 9th century, Arabic had become the lingua franca forhundreds of monks who came from all over the world to live and studyat the major monasteries in the region. Today those communities arepredominately Orthodox Christian and Unitarian and renewal is hap-pening. Orthodox Christians and Muslim Arabs alike are coming to asaving faith in Jesus Christ.

"People who spend time in the desert are changed,"the group's guide, Yoav, told them one morning. He list-ed biblical examples: Moses, Abraham, and Jesus. "Inthe future," he told the teenagers, "if the seeds of angerand bitterness begin to grow in you, they'll be chokedby the seeds God has planted during our days togetherout here in the desert. The memories of this time willserve all of you — Palestinians and Jews — remindingyou of friendships formed, faith shared, and that Godbinds his followers together in his love."

The Musalaha ministry that sponsors the desertexcursions was founded by Salim Munayer, an IsraeliArab who grew up in the mixed Arab-Jewish communityin Lod (biblical Lydda). Shortly after he became a believ-er in Jesus in 1977, Salim realized that the conflictbetween Jews and Arabs was rooted in sin and separa-tion from God. Through the desert encounters he seeksto bring Jewish and Arab youth together in the truepeace that they can find only in their shared faith inJesus/Yeshua/Yasua/Isa.

Messianic JewishMovementMessianic Judaism is not a new movement, but

rather a restoration of the ancient community of Jewishbelievers who followed Jesus/Yeshua/Yasua/Isa in thefirst and second centuries.

Historically, the first followers of Jesus (Greek) orYeshua (Hebrew) were Jews — Messianic Jews. Thebook of Acts and writings of the Jewish historianJosephus both record how the Jews who believed inYeshua became known as "The Way."

Messianic Jews believe that the Messiah Yeshuacame into the world, shed his blood as a covering forsin, and rose from the dead, all in fulfillment of theHebrew prophets such as Isaiah: "…he was pierced forour transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities"(Isaiah 53:5a). They also believe that Yeshua did notcome to establish a new religion, but rather to "fulfill"

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an ancient one (Matthew 5:17). Messianic Jews upholdthe view that the New Testament is a continuation ofthe Hebrew scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16), and contendthat Jewish people who follow Yeshua do not becomeconverts to another religion, but rather remain Jews —Messianic Jews (Colossians 4:11).

Traditional Judaism teaches that Yeshua is not theMessiah, that the Tanakh (Hebrew scriptures) and theTalmud (Hebrew laws of religious practice) are the cor-rect and binding interpretation (halacha) of God’s eter-nal word, and that the New Testament lacks thisauthority. Messianic Judaism, in contrast, teaches thatYeshua is the Messiah, that the entire Bible, consistingof the Old and New Testaments, is the sole authorityfor faith and practice, and that the Talmud lacks thisauthority.

A key difference between traditional Christianityand Messianic Judaism is the emphasis on originalHebrew terms in place of traditional Christian terms asin Abba for God the Father, Yeshua Ha Mashiach forJesus Christ and Ruach Ha Kodesh for the Holy Spirit.

The major groups of the Jewish messianic move-ment are The International Alliance, North AmericanAlliances, and the local alliances in each country. Thereare also many other groups that are part of the Jewishmessianic movement beyond the alliances.

Joseph Rabinowitz was the first person who daredto call himself a Messianic Jew in modern times. Heaffirmed that for a Jew to come to the Lord he did nothave to convert to Christianity in faith and culture. Heestablished the first messianic Jewish congregationcalled “The Synagogue of the Congregation of Israelitesof the New Covenant,” in Kishinev, Russia, in 1885.

The number of messianic Jewish congregations hasincreased significantly worldwide since 1980. For exam-ple, in 1978 there were three Hebrew-Christian [mes-sianic Jewish] congregations in the United States.Today there are over 400. There are 37 congregations

In the nearly five decades since Israeli statehood, the socio-econom-ic condition of the Palestinian Arab Christian population has changedconsiderably. A survey of 500 high school students in Israel found thatArab believers are suffering from significant emotional stress. Theyhave a deep sense of being rejected by both the Jews and the Muslimsaround them. Many are emigrating.

This need for identity, this paradox of faith and culture, is shared byMessianic Jew and Arab Christian alike. The need for a sense of whothey are — both in Jesus/Yeshua/Yasua/Isa and in their Arab and Israelicultures — is profound. Believers from all backgrounds are comingtogether in their common faith inJesus/Yeshua/Yasua/Isa/Christ/Messiah. They are also trying to main-tain their cultural distinctives so that they can maintain links and buildbridges back into their own communities. Together they are experienc-ing his peace that passes all understanding.

ConclusionI join with many who sense that “a new day dawned” in the Middle

East several years ago. The moving of God’s Spirit is seen in the storiesand hearts of people with whom I met; some of them appear in thisreport.

Yet troubles and great uncertainties remain. The deep-seatedhatred and bitterness of many years is being exposed to the light of thelove of Jesus. Many precious people — Jews and Arabs from bothChristian and Muslim communities — are searching for personal identityand a new peace within. In that search, many are opening themselvesto the peace and healing that await them in Jesus.

Regional historians and leaders lead me to believe there is a greathope in this new searching. I pray that the worldwide Body of Christ willknow this rising tide of Shalom/Salam, and that Christians everywherewill join in spirited, prevailing prayer for the Middle East as the thresh-old of a new millennium passes under our feet.

As an Arab Christian leader living in Jerusalem said: “God’s peoplein the region have suffered and experienced the cross for so long. It’stime they begin to experience the crown.” Whether it is a cross or acrown one truth remains. The pursuit of peace is not sufficient to arriveat peace. It is in the pursuit of the author of peace--the source of peace--the prince of peace where any person, family, city, nation, people, orregion will find lasting peace.

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in the Former USSR. Nowhere has the growth been moredramatic than in Israel itself. In a recent survey, Kai Kjaer-Hansen, International Coordinator of the LausanneConsultation on Jewish Evangelism, profiled more than 80messianic congregations and house groups with his team.The results demonstrate that more than 70 percent of allmessianic Jewish congregations in Israel were founded inthe 1990’s, including 25 Russian-speaking groups. There isa multiplicity of streams in the Jewish messianic movementtoday including the synagogue liturgical, Israeli-charismatic,evangelical non-charismatic and evangelical charismatic.Most have a significant Jewishness in cultural expression,but in different proportions.

Clearly, a significant development has taken place inthe last twenty years; small groups of fearful messianicbelievers have grown into a community that is beginning toinfluence the life of Israel society.

Arab ChurchMovementAn Arab Christian community has existed in the region

of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority since theDay of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2. During the Byzantineera the region, then called Palestine, was predominantlyChristian. To this day, despite 2,000 years of wars andunrest, the Lord has faithfully kept for himself a living wit-ness in the land of his birth. "We are a forgotten faithful,but we are not forgotten by the Lord" an Arab Christianhas said.

Arab Christians in the region comprise a colorful spec-trum of churches. Members of the historical churches —Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Syrian Catholic, SyrianOrthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Coptic Catholic, Chaldean,Maronite, Armenian Orthodox, Armenian Catholic, LatinCatholic and the Ancient Church of the East (known asNestorian) — take pride in tracing their heritage back tothe earliest church. Their monasteries, cathedrals andchurches stand as a physical timeline of Christian witnessin the Middle East. In the eighteenth century, Western mis-sionaries founded Protestant and evangelical churches,making their impact in this land. Today, Baptists,Pentecostals, Nazarenes, Missionary Alliance, Presbyterians,

The Attitude of BelieversWorldwide to the Peoplein the Region

One of the most encouraging developments in Christian his-tory this century has been the changing heart of committedChristian believers--whether mainstream, evangelical, charismaticor whatever--toward the Jews. After centuries of intolerance,flecked with murder and crude social bigotry, increasing numbersof Christians in recent years have been owning up to the church'shistorical role in anti-Semitism. And they have, quite rightly, beenrepenting of it.

One explanation of this change of heart has been the suddenre-emergence of Israel on the world scene. Israel became a statein 1948; just 19 years later, Israeli armies took over Arab EastJerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza during the Six Day War.

Many evangelical Christians suddenly renewed their interestin end-time prophecies, eagerly seeking to interpret the signs ofthe times in the contemporary Middle East as part of God's planfor the ages. The best selling nonfiction book in the United Statesfor the entire decade of the 1970’s was Hal Lindsey's The LateGreat Planet Earth, a popular exegesis of modern history, particu-larly in the Middle East, as part of biblical prophecy.

At the same time, enamored with Israel and the possibilitythat the “last days” might be just around the corner, increasingnumbers of Christians began to see Jews in general--not justIsraelis--no longer as "Christ-killers" but as a people chosen byGod and beloved by Him no less today than in Old Testamenttimes. Not all Jews have been comfortable with this rather strikingchange in Christian perceptions of them--from "enemy" to "instru-ment" of God's purpose, so to speak. After all, some must wonder,if theology was the reason for the original antipathy of Christianstoward them, and theology has now given birth to admiration,what happens if theology shifts once again?

The fact is, many Christians have begun to experience a lovefor the Jewish people that has nothing to do with the way theyenvision the end times, but which is almost certainly the work ofthe Holy Spirit Himself. It is thus very important for all Christians,whether they are pre-millennialist, post- millennialist--or as one

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Anglicans, Armenian Congregationalists, Lutherans,Brethren Churches and other indigenous evangelicalchurches work together in remarkable unity. Their smallnumbers and the great challenges facing them draw themto each other as they serve their one Lord.

In keeping with the example set before them by thefirst church, Arab Christians generously provide charitablerelief to the needy. Arab Christians, in cooperation with thechurch worldwide, including Caritas, World Vision andother Christian aid organizations have been working forseveral decades to alleviate the suffering of the dispos-sessed in their midst; 20 refugee camps are home to overa million people.

The church's influence is also felt through the spiritualencouragement it brings to the surrounding communities.An important Muslim head of state once put it this way:"It is important to keep the Arab Christians in the MiddleEast; they are the glue that holds our community together."

Presently, under the Palestinian National Authority, thechurch has many opportunities to present the Good Newsto the lost. Arab Christians distribute literature, hold Biblestudies, distribute correspondence courses, and advertise inthe local papers. On several occasions, the Jesus Film hasbeen broadcast in prime time on Palestinian public televi-sion.

The Church in Jordan — an agent ofpeace

The church in Jordan, which might have begun on theday that Jesus Christ was baptized in the River Jordan, pro-vides stability and renewal in the region. About four per-cent of Jordan's population of approximately five millionpeople is at least nominally Christian.

In 1998, a partnership of two major ministries inJordan began offering free Bibles through newspaper andmagazine ads. More than 65,000 people responded!Through a carefully planned follow-up program many arebeing integrated into Bible studies and churches.

Throughout its long history in Jordan the Church hasreached out with the compassionate love of Christ.Throughout the Arab-Israeli conflict as well as during andafter the Gulf War, the willingness to continue to do so hascertainly challenged the Church. What do you do whenhundreds of thousands of desperate people are forced toleave their homes and start living in your country, whichcertainly is not very rich? This is what happened in 1948and 1967 when waves of Palestinians moved eastwardsand at time even outnumbered the local population. Butthe Church did its best. This was then repeated after theGulf War and close to half a million Iraqis are now living inJordan. The local churches have played an important partin helping them out.

church wag once said, "pan- millennialist" ("I believe it will all panout in the end")--to be very respectful of Jewish feelings, particular-ly in light of the uglier sides of Christian history.

It may be as insulting to Jews (and particularly Israelis) toromanticize them into larger-than-life cardboard Bible figures as toassume that a newly discovered friendliness toward them justifiesinsensitive efforts at evangelization. The Jews may indeed beGod's people; but they are still people.

For that matter, so are Palestinians, Arabs in general andArab Christians in particular. It is right to be horrified andappalled by the murderous terrorism of HAMAS, the IslamicPalestinian group whose fanatical suicide bombers have killedscores of innocent men, women and children in public places inIsrael.

But neither deep affection for the Jews nor end- times theolo-gy nor even the murderousness of some Palestinian groups givesany Christian the right to treat ordinary Arabs, and especiallyPalestinian Arab Christians under Israeli political rule, with any-thing less than dignity and, indeed, great compassion. One cancompletely reject "replacement theology" (the view that since thecoming of Christ, the biblical terms "Israel" and "God's people"refer not to the Jews but to the Christian church) and still sensethe anguish of many Arabs in the West Bank (or Judea andSamaria, if you prefer). They are caught between a growing tideof Islamic fundamentalism on the one hand and tough, sometimesharsh security measures often imposed on Palestinians by theIsraeli authorities on the other.

How should Christians cope with these sometimes challeng-ing paradoxes?

Affection for the Jews doesn't give any Christian the right totreat Arabs with anything less than dignity.

“One good rule of thumb is not to make the attitude of one'sheart hostage either to end-times interpretation or to the uncer-tainties of Middle Eastern politics. We should love the Jews (seeGen. 12:3). But we should also reach out to encourage and loveour Arab and Palestinian brothers and sisters in Christ.

— David AikmanDavid Aikman, former senior correspondent for Time Magazine,

spent two and half years as Bureau Chief in Jerusalem and authors amonthly column for Charisma magazine, from which this article wasprinted.

9 continued on page 10 - far left

The characteristics that make the church in Jordan asignificant agent of God's peace are reflected in the livesof Arab believers:• Leadership Development: IImad provides leader-

ship in seminary education. His call to equip spiritualleaders for planting and strengthening churches in theArab World has been increasingly fulfilled in recentyears. Students planted ten new churches in the lastthree years in Jordan (four Iraqi congregations, fiveJordanian, and one Sudanese). Graduates serve inchurch planting in eleven countries.Dikran is preparing a cross-cultural outreach trainingfacility for Christians from throughout the region. AJordanian Christian couple leads a camping ministryoutside Amman where many of today's leaders madedecisions for Christ in their younger years.

• Ambassadors for Christ: Pastor and ministryleader Youssef provides a home for Iraqi believers andcompassionate outreach to the growing Iraqi popula-tion in Jordan. Dikran seeks to provide a haven forSyrian believers and a training ground for Armenianbelievers in his new church facility. Victor travelsextensively as an Ambassador for the Prince of Peace,sharing the peace that passes all understanding.

• Business Leaders and Professionals: With greatexcitement and classic Arab hospitality, Elias and hiswife Salam invite fellow business leaders and profes-sionals to their home, sharing baklava, Turkish coffee,and the Gospel. They have led many of their gueststo Christ. Like other Christian business leaders andprofessionals, they generously support the work ofChristian ministries in and from Jordan.

• Emerging Leaders: Two young Arab leaders pro-mote the need for Christian entrepreneurs; godly menand women who will help raise up a new generationof leaders with creativity and energy to strategicallyenvision new frontiers for the gospel in the new millen-nium.

One Person's Journey: Mina's storyMina was born into a religious Jewish family in Israel. Her

parents never allowed the name of Jesus to be spoken in herhome, and she was taught that Arabs want to hurt Jews andcannot be trusted.

In her early 20s, Mina spent a year traveling in SouthAfrica. Near the end of her journey she surrendered her lifeto the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Upon returning home to Haifa,she was led to join Carmel Assembly, where she grew in theLord.

Eight years later she took a job marketing cosmetics doorto door, including many Arab homes. To her surprise, manyArabs welcomed her and she even made new friends. But notso with Muslims who were militant about their faith. The mutu-al distrust and clashing of spirits made her very uncomfort-able. One day while in prayer, she told the Lord, "I hate theMuslims, and I don't want to go see them again." The Lordmade it clear to her that she should love everyone. "If youwant me to love everyone," she replied, "I pray that you will dothat by the power of the Holy Spirit, because I cannot do thismyself."

A year later, the Lord led her to attend the Israel Collegeof the Bible in Jerusalem. One day while she was touring theOld City an amazing thing happened. She overheard aMuslim merchant arguing with another man, and she went upto him and asked why he was yelling. He replied, "Becausethey didn't want to buy from me!" She asked again and themerchant glared at her in speechless anger. She saw in hiseyes all the cultural and religious hatred that tears apart theirhomeland. He spun around and stormed away shouting; "Wewill get your country one day!"

Mina's Israeli side recoiled in fear, but to her great amaze-ment she was filled with compassion and the love of the Lordfor the angry merchant. Catching up with him she said, "Idon't hate you. Why did you speak to me like that? You reallyhurt me." When the merchant saw the kindness in her eyeshis anger faded. "I am so sorry I hurt you. My name isIbrahim." She introduced herself and offered to come visit himevery Saturday and bring him books about the Lord.

On that day, the Lord had answered her prayer for love.His love had cut through generations of pent-up hatred andmistrust. Ibrahim's eyes were opened to the light Christ's loveshining through the eyes of an Israeli woman. And Mina'sheart had been filled with godly love for Arabs, includingMuslims.

Through that encounter Mina also saw the answer to thetroubles infesting her homeland — the great power of God'slove. As Mina herself says, "The only way Arab and Jew canbe united is through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. We canonly pray that more and more Arabs and Jews will come toknow Him."

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What You can DoThe opportunities to become a partner in the biblical

heart of the 10/40 Window for Christ are limitless. The fol-lowing is a limited selection of the many and vast possibili-ties for:

Partner by Giving, generously to projects and programs inthe region, such as indigenous workers in outreaches,training, reconciliation initiatives, fostering unity, satelliteTV, radio programs, media, literature distribution, Bibles,and other projects.

Manara Ministries, Jordan, E-mail :mbm@nets.com.joJerusalem House of Prayer for All Nations,E-mail: jhopfan@compuserve.com

Partner in Interest by becoming aware of what God isdoing in this region today. Some excellent resources include::

Websites on:The Palestinian National Authority http://www.pcbs.org/Jordan http://www.nic.gov.jo/Israel http://www.israel.org/Manara Ministries, Jordan, E-mail: mbm@nets.com.jo

Caspari Center, Jerusalem, E-mail: caspari@caspari.com

Jews for Jesus, Website: http://www.jewsforjesus.org

An Introduction to the Ministry of SAT-7 satellite televi-sion, E-mail: ronensminger@sat7.org

Partner in Training with:

Bethlehem Bible College, Email: bethbc@planet.edu

Israel College of the Bible, Email: icob@netvision.net.il,

Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary,E-mail: jets@nets.com.jo

AOG Training Center, Amman, Jordan,Fax: [962](6)463-2786

National Leaders Fellowship / National EvangelismCommittee, E-mail: dew@netvision.net.il

Partner in Reconciliation with the and fostering unityinitiatives through Musalaha,Email: musalaha@netvision.net.il

Partner in Business Ventures The Business andProfessional Network (BPN), E-mail: john@bpn.org,Website: http://www.bpn.org

The Shepherd Society (c/o Bethlehem Bible College,Email: bethbc@planet.edu)

How You Can Pray

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Pray for national leaders.Pray God's blessings on the heads of government, otherministers and officials and their efforts in the pursuit ofpeace.

Pray that family members of the leaders will hear thegospel on the radio, for the leaders to meet genuinebelievers in their travels, and for God to move the rightperson to share the gospel with them.

Pray that God will give the leaders wisdom to rule theircountries with justice, righteousness and mercy, creatingpolicies that would allow the gospel to go forward in theirland.

The heads of the nations in the biblical heart of the 10/40Window are:

Israel: President Ezer Weizmanand Prime Minister Ehud Barak

Palestinian Authority Territory leader: Yasser Arafat

Jordan: King Abdullah the second Bin Al Hussein

Pray for God’s people in the region.

Pray for courage - that they will overcome intimidationand fear.

Pray that they would have a solid revelation of God's loveand be strengthened to persevere and be faithful to theLord.

Pray for maturity in their faith and appropriate teachingto build them up.

Pray as well for the effective ministries of radio, TV andliterature.

Pray for encouragement for those who live outside themain cities with limited contact with other Christians.

Pray for creative opportunities for tentmaking workers togain access, and for more long-term workers.

Pray for continued, strengthened unity in working togeth-er.

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For further information about how you can become personally involved in this focus on the regionwhich includes Israel, Jordan, and The Palestinian Authority, contact:

AD2000 & Beyond Movement2860 S. Circle Drive, Suite 2112 Colorado Springs, CO 80906 USA

Phone: (719) 576-2000 Fax: (719) 576-2685Email: info@ad2000.org Web page: http://www.ad2000.org

This publication is the latest in a series highlighting the history, progress and focus of the AD2000 & Beyond Movement as it presses toward the goal of achurch for every people and the gospel for every person by the year 2000.

The 10/40 Window: Getting to the Core of the Core

The Unfinished Task: It Can Be Done

Joshua Project 2000

To the Uttermost Part: The Call to North India

The Arabian Peninsula: An Opening at the Heart of the 10/40 Window

The Horn of Africa: Challenge and Opportunity

The Maghreb: Ancient North Africa yearns for Rebirth

The 35/45 Turkic Window: A Gateway to the Muslim World